Stuff You Should Know

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: Who Committed the 1912 Villisca Ax Murders?

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Tylenol Murders, Part I

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Tylenol Murders, Part II

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Tale of the Bloody Benders

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Harvey’s Casino Bombing of 1980

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Strange Unsolved Murder of Ken McElroy

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Harrowing Story of the North Hollywood Shootout

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Unsolved Indiana Dunes Disappearances

SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: How The Great Train Robbery Worked

A Tribute To The Far Side

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck discuss the single-panel cartoon The Far Side by Gary Larson. They explore Larson's unique humor, his background, and the cultural impact of his work. They describe specific Far Side cartoons, analyze Larson's artistic style, and discuss his success, including th...

Short Stuff: Death Cap Mushroom

In this episode of "Short Stuff," Josh and Chuck delve into the dangers of the death cap mushroom, a highly poisonous fungus. They discuss its origins as an invasive species in North America, tracing its arrival back to imported trees from Europe. The hosts detail the toxins present in the mushroom, particularly amatox...

Tdhtdhtdhtdhtdh: Sound Effects!

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck delve into the intricate world of sound effects in film, television, and video games. They discuss the often-overlooked role of Foley artists, who create realistic sounds in post-production to enhance the viewing experience. They trace the history of sound effect...

Selects: Slime Mold: 0% Mold, 100% Amazing

This podcast episode of "Stuff You Should Know" features Josh and Chuck discussing slime mold. They explain that slime mold is neither animal nor fungus, but a protist. They delve into the two main types of slime mold: plasmodial and cellular, highlighting their unique characteristics and movement. The discussion cover...

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

In this episode of "Stuff You Should Know," Josh and Chuck delve into the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, a controversial study where black men with syphilis were left untreated to observe the disease's progression. They discuss the origins of the study in Macon County, Alabama, the false pretenses under which the men pa...

Short Stuff: Killing a Dead Body

The podcast episode begins with promotions for "Gracias Come Again," "No Such Thing," and "Overcomfort Podcast." Hosts Josh and Chuck then discuss the legal concept of whether one can be charged with murdering someone already dead, referencing the movie Magnolia and the story of Ronald Opus. They delve into two specifi...

What was the Four Pests Campaign?

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck discuss the Four Pests Campaign in China from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. They detail Mao Zedong's initiative to eradicate rats, sparrows, flies, and mosquitoes to improve public health and boost agricultural output as part of the Great Leap Forward. The h...

Selects: What's the deal with subpoenas?

In this episode of "Stuff You Should Know," Josh and Chuck delve into the intricacies of subpoenas, differentiating between the subpoena ad testificandum (to testify) and the subpoena duces tecum (to produce documents). They explore the legal and historical context of subpoenas, particularly focusing on congressional o...

You’re So Good At Conversation!

In this episode of the podcast, Josh and Chuck delve into the niche field of conversational analysis, a social science that focuses on observing and understanding patterns in human conversation. They discuss the key figures who pioneered the field in the 1970s at UCLA, including Harvey Sachs, Gail Jefferson, and Emanue...

Short Stuff: North Sentinel Island

In this episode of Short Stuff, Josh and Chuck discuss the isolated North Sentinel Island and its inhabitants, the Sentinelese. They explore the history of attempted contacts with the tribe, from early encounters with merchant ships to the Anthropological Survey of India's efforts to offer gifts. The hosts highlight th...